Longitudinal folder for making paper napkins and the like articles from web material



R. BENITEZ 3,361,425

LONGITUDINAL FOLDER FOR MAKING PAPER NAPKINS AND THE LIKE ARTICLES FROM WEB MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1968 Filed Oct. 14, 1965 INVENTOR. MMON BEN/7E2 Q Qm A TTORNE).

United States Patent "ice 3,361 425 LONGITUDINAL FOLDEI Z FOR IWAKING PAPER NAPKINS AND THE LIKE ARTICLES PROP/I WEB MATERIAL Ramon Benitez, 561 W. 141st St, New York, N.Y. 10031 Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 496,121 6 Claims. (Cl. 270-436) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A web folding assembly comprising a set of plates having radially alternately overlapping ribs which increase the height and decrease in width from the entrance end to the exit end of the assembly. Each rib comprises coplanar edge portions converging toward the outlet end whereby the portion of the web passing through said assembly is formed into staggered flat triangular portions.

This invention relates to apparatus for making paper napkins and the like articles from web material.

An object of this invention is to provide in apparatus of the character described means to pleat or fold a web from a roll, longitudinally, into a pleated strip, means for then cutting the pleated strip transversely into predetermined lengths, and means for then folding the cut lengths transversely in half.

Another object of this invention is to provide in apparatus of the character described, a web folding assembly comprising a pair of interfitted registering members having opposed sector shaped plate portions decreasing in width from which extend radial, alternating ribs which increase in height but decrease in width from the inlet end of the assembly to the outlet end thereof, so that the web is folded by said ribs as the web is pulled through said assembly from inlet to said outlet end.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide strong and durable apparatus of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, smooth and positive in operation, and yet practical and eiiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

FIGURE 1 is a side, elevational view of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the folding assembly with the one of the two assembly members rotated 180 relative to the other;

FIG. 3 is a top plan View of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 4, but illustrating a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 5, illustrating the form of invention illustrated in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one end of a folded web coming out of the folding assembly.

Referring now in detail to FIGS. 1-6 and 9 of the drawing, 10 designates apparatus embodying the inven- 3,361,425 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 tion. Said apparatus 10 comprises a table top 11 supported by legs 12 from a floor 13. Adjacent the leading end of table top 11 is a horizontal rod 14 transverse to the table top and supporting a roll 15 of paper or other webbing 16 to be pleated, cut and folded in half.

The webbing 16 passes over an idler 17 disposed above table top 11, then under another idler 18 located just beyond table top 11 and just above its upper surface. Rod 14- and idlers 17 and 18 may be supported on any suitable supports, and are parallel to one another.

On the table top 11 is a web pleating or folding assembly 20 having an entrance end 2011 and an exit end 20b. The Web 16 enters the assembly 20 at the entrance end Zita, as a transversely fiat horizontal sheet and comes out as a flat pleated or folded sheet 16a disposed in a vertical plane, at the exit end of the assembly.

At the exit end, sheet 16a has outer vertical sections 24, upper folds 25 from which extend downwardly sections 26, at the lower ends of which are folds 27 from which extend upwardly, sections 28 joined at the top by a fold 29. Sections 2 26 and 28 are all of similar width. Although the folded web 16a, as illustrated, has only six sections, the web may be folded into pleats of other than six sections.

Assembly 20 comprises a bottom member underlying a top member 126 superimposed thereon.

Bottom member 125 comprises a sector shaped plate 127 having side edges 127a converging from a curved edge 128 at the entrance end toward the outlet or exit or outlet end of the assembly. Edges 127a are interconnected by a transverse end edge 129 at the exit end of the assembly.

Extending up from the radial mid-portion of plate 127 is a radial rib 30 which decreases in Width but increases in height from a point spaced from curved edge 28, as at 31, to a point 32 somewhat short of said edge 129. Thus, rib 39 has side surfaces 33 converging from location 31 to point 32. Rib 31) also has a top upwardly inclined surface 34 gradually decreasing in width from location 31 to point 32.

Also extending up from bottom wall or plate 127 are a pair of radial thin ribs 36 of uniform thickness, forming similar angles with surfaces 33 of rib 3d and increasing in height from point 37 spaced from curved edge 128 to points 33 aligned with points 32 of rib 31). Thus ribs 36 converge toward rib 3t) from near the entrance end of the assembly toward the exit end thereof. The incline of ribs 39 and 36 are substantially similar to each other throughout the length of the ribs. Ribs as are spaced from the edges 127a of plate 127.

Top member 126 comprises a sector shaped top plate 48 substantially overlying plate 127 and having a curved edge 41 at the entrance end of the assembly. When the top and bottom members are assembled, edge 5-1 is disposed beyond edge 12%. Top plate 49 has radial side edge 42 also converging rom the entrance end toward the exit end of the assembly, and wings 43 at the entrance end. Edges 42 are substantially aligned with outer urfaces of ribs 36. Extending downwardly from top wall 40 are a pair of similar radial ribs 45 converging from the entrance end to the exit end of the assembly, and disposed between rib 3t and ribs 36 of the bottom member 125. Ribs 4-5 decrease in width and increase in height from locations 47 spaced from curved edge 41 toward the exit end of the assembly. Said ribs are of no height at locations 47 and are of a height equal to the height of ribs 3%, as near the exit end, at locations 48. Plate 49 has a transverse edge 49 at the exit end of the assembly.

Plate 127 is horizontal but plate 44 inclines upwardly from the entrance end to the exit end of the assembly. The lower surfaces 5% of ribs 46 are horizontal and are disposed close to the bottom plate 127. Each of ribs 46 has side surfaces 46a conver ing toward the exit end of the assembly. 7

Extending downwardly from the top plate 40 are a pair of radial thin ribs 52 of uniform thickness, but also increasing in height from the entrance end to the exit end of the assembly. Ribs 52 are located outside of and parallel to ribs 36, and are of a height similar to ribs 46 throughout their length. Lower edges of ribs 52 are horizontal. The ribs 36, 36, 46, 52 may be attached to plates 127, 40 by screws or in any other similar manner, or may be integrally formed therewith. At the exit end, ribs 30, 46 are thin plates.

As the sheet 16 of paper goes through the assembly, and becomes a folded or pleated strip lea, sections 2? of the folded strip are formed between ribs 36, 52; sections 126 are formed between ribs 46, 3d; and sections 28 are formed between ribs 3t) and ribs 46.

The top and bottom members 25, 26 of the assembly may be clamped together in any suitable manner.

The folded strip a, after it comes out from the exit end of the assembly, is in vertical position, and is twisted into horizontal position as at 16b, and comes between rollers 60 and is fed along the table top to rollers 61. The continuous strip 16:: is then cut into predetermined lengths by a vertically movable cutter 63 which may be actuated in any suitable manner. Cutter 63 may move between guides 64 and connected bya link 65 to a rotary disc 66 as at 67. Disc 66 may be rotated in any suitable manner about an axis 68.

The cut pieces 161 of folded webbing may be fed by rollers 69 along table top 11 to a place where they are folded to half length by a plunger bar 7%) reciprocably mounted between vertical guides 72. Plunger bar 70 is connected by a link 72 to a disc 73 as at 7 Disc 73 is mounted for rotation about an axis 75. Disc 66 and 73 may be rotated by any suitable drive means. Cut strip 161 is delivered to a place beneath the bar 76 with the bar above the middle of the strip. Disc ,3 then causes the bar to move down through a slot 78 in table top 11 between vertical parallel guides 79, to fold the cut folded strip 161 in half about a middle transverse fold (it), to form folded strip 160.

The folded cut strip 160 is pushed down by bar 70 between a pair of belts 84, 85.

Belt 85 is moved by a pair of pulleys 84a, 84b in the direction of the arrows indicating its direction of feed. Belt 84 is rotated by rollers 84a, 84b. Rollers 8422 are so close that the lower folded edge 8t of strip 16c will be wedged between the belts and hence the strips 160 will be fed by the belts to a suitable receptacle 90.

The feed rollers for the folded web 16a, and for the belts may be powered by any suitable well known means.

Although bottom member 125 is shown formed with only one rib 30 and member 125 with two ribs 46, it will be understood that said top and bottom members may be provided with any suitable number of interfitted, alternating ribs 30, 46 to fold the web with a pleat of any suitable number of sections. g In FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown a modified form of assembly. Assembly 29a of said figures is similar to the assembly except that solid rib 30 is replaced by a rib which comprises a pair of converging ribs 319a over' which the web passes, and ribs :6 are each replaced by a pair of ribs 46a which converge, and under which the web passes. The ribs 30a merge into a thin rib at the exit end of the assembly. Each pair of ribs 46a merge at the exit end of the assembly.

Each of the ribs 46 on plate 40 have coplanar edge portions 41 converging toward the outlet end 26-5. Said rib 3d. Said ribs are radial and spaced from one another. Edge portions 30a are disposed in a plane located close and parallel to plate 4ft. Portions of the web passing through the assembly which contact edges 41 and surfaces Sti are triangular and in a common plane, and are staggered relative to the portion of the Web contacting surface 34. Said portions are interconnected by triangular portions of the web, which are horizontal at the entrance end Zita and vertical at the outlet end 2%. Said connecting portions of the web do not contact any surface from one end of the ribs to the other. The triangular portions of the webs contacting surfaces 50 and 34 gradually decrease in width from the entrance to the exit end and V finally become folded edges at the exit end.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is Well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. i

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

ii. A web folding assembly having an entrance end and an outlet end and comprising top and bottom members, said members comprising superimposed flat plates disposed in planes which diverge from the entrance end to the outlet end, and provided with radial alternately overlapping ribs, which are spaced from one another and increase in height and decrease in width from the entrance end toward the outlet end of the assembly, each of a pair of ribs on one plate having coplanar edge portions converging toward the outlet end, said portions of said pair of ribs being disposed in a common plane located close and parallel to but spaced from the other plate, and a rib on the other plate and disposed between said pair of ribs and having coplanaredge portions converging toward the outlet end and disposed in a plane located close and parallel to but spaced from the first plate, whereby the portion of the web passing through said assembly is formed into staggered, fiat, triangular portions disposed in diverging planes, interconnected by triangular portions which are horizontal at the entrance end 5. The combination of'claim 1, the ribs of said members.

comprising a pair of thin rib plates.

6. The combination of claim. 1, said plates extending beyond said ribs at the entrance end and being flat at said extensions to allow free entrance of said web into said assembly at said entrance end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 813,593 2/1906 Sexton 270-40 934,368 9/1909 Stewart 27066 X a r 1,313,712 8/1919 MacFarland 270-86 2,018,855 10/1935 Imshaug 270-66 X 2,039,335 5/1936 Nall u 270-86 X 2,092,977 9/1937 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. P. V. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner.

Kaster 270-41 X 

